Michael Cano, with his wife, is the great-grandson of Geronimo, a Vietnam War veteran, and professor at the University of La Verne. He was recently named the 2014 67th Assembly District Veteran of the Year.

In the upcoming South Dakota legislative session, beginning in January, newly elected South Dakota State Senator Troy Heinert, Rosebud Sioux, will be wrangling measures to improve life for Natives and others throughout the state. Heinert, formerly in the South Dakota House, is shown here at his day job as a rodeo pick-up man.

This August 2012 photo shows heads at Rano Raraku, the quarry on Easter Island. The sculptures have bodies attached, but they are buried under the dirt and not visible. About 400 moai are here in various stages of carving. A new study indicates that Native Americans visited Easter Island before Columbus sailed to the Americas.

Chairman Bob Hicks at the First Americans in the Arts awards ceremony in the early 2000s, with Dawn Jackson, the organization’s vice chair. Image source: dreammerchantstudio.com/pages/Events/CINEFAITA.htm

Haskell Indian Nations University students produced their own take on Native Vote campaign posters. Brian Johnson produced this poster with model Charmayne Eldrige. Both students are from the Navajo Nation. As the election nears, tribes and organizations are using a variety of strategies to make sure every vote counts.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, shops at Alaska Federation of Natives convention last week. Election dolls with messages of support for candidates and ballot measures. The AFN board endorsed Sen. Mark Begich for re-election. (The dolls are sold by Ursla Irvin from Chevak, Alaska.)

People gather around the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the National War Memorial as they mourn the loss of Cpl. Nathan Cirillo, the army reservist who was shot dead as he stood guard at the memorial on October 22. He was buried in Hamilton, Ontario, with full honors on Tuesday October 28.

The author’s mother, Phoebe Ward Hopper, wearing the button blanket and headband she made herself and wore to the annual ANS/ANB conventions in Alaska. Unfortunately, the front of the headband with the eagle design is not visible. (Courtesy Barbara Searls and Freda Westman)

Police converge on Parliament Hill after one or more gunmen opens fire, shooting a uniformed soldier guarding the War Memorial in Ottawa and then entering the Parliament building. Lawmakers and Prime Minister Stephen Harper were moved to safety.